


Promise and Compromise

by SilverAce06



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Future, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Relationships, Post-Sonic 06/Next Gen, Wholesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:09:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27144308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverAce06/pseuds/SilverAce06
Summary: Countless years have passed since he'd vowed to protect this world; centuries of watching over, fighting for humanity and Shadow is content with what he's done to uphold that promise. Everything changes when a certain time-traveling hedgehog causes him to question just how well his morals are being met. (a rewrite of my old fic, 'Be My Mentor')
Kudos: 9





	Promise and Compromise

Existence is dependent solely on purpose; without it, life would simply cease to be worth living. The instinctual drive to become more, to fulfill one's ultimate goal, is what fuels this world, yet the looming, ever-ebbing flow of time seems almost determined to prevent this. No mortal can escape the judgement of the cruel blade of death.

He is the only exception.

* * *

Once again alone in the darkened streets of Central City, Shadow followed the outlying roads that snaked around its edges, the silence of the sleeping metropolis interrupted solely by the gentle hum of his bike's motor. Cold shadows accentuated the endless rows of buildings, and the cloudless sky above revealed a single, thin sliver of moon. This empty, desolate hour held more secrets than even he; it was a time when the hungry silhouettes of humanities' demons lurked under the cover of the night sky.

Shadow would find them. And he would bring them justice, as he always had.

Tonight, zipping through the slumbering concrete jungle he called home, his thoughts drifted. Practical and unusual, old and new, his memories decided to surface once again. The G.U.N. agent didn't normally allow for his mind to digress from his mission, yet in this eerie twilight, he had no control. Perhaps it was due to the uncanny familiarity of this peaceful, alluring darkness; or maybe it was the fault of the strangely still air of the night. It mattered not to him as, for once, he was content to be lead by his emotions. It had been far too long since he'd last let himself give into the nagging pull of unfocused actions.

As he fell into the comforting lull of the past, single image appeared in his mind's eye: a dimly-lit room, it's sparsely decorated, pristine interior cold, yet strangely inviting. And the man behind that ancient oak desk, his graying, sterling steel hair and uneven, piercing gaze that only made the chill of the darkness more absolute. Back then he'd had so many questions, a child-like wonder that was, thankfully, flawlessly concealed behind his permanent, emotionless mask. They would be answered in time, of course. The most important of these questions, however, was the one he had to ask himself.

_What is it that I truly want to do with this life?_

"Shadow the Hedgehog, under the advisement of the Guardian Unit of Nations, I, Commander Abraham Towers grant you full ommitance of the consequences of your past actions." His tone had been stiff and serious. Even that many years ago, Shadow had already come to appreciate the formality that the organization presented. It was familiar, as so many things at the time seemed not to be.

The prolonged silence that followed allowed for Shadow to process the words, yet he said nothing. His thoughts, however, were hardly as still; he wanted an explanation, yet the ebony hedgehog kept his composure. The Commander spoke again, glassy eyes reflecting the painfully his focus even more acute than before.

"That is, under one condition," he amended, his aged voice ringing deep and clear. The man laced his fingers together, settling them on the polished wood. Shadow noted the sharp, clean cut of his nails and a single, faded scar on the wrist of his right hand. "G.U.N. proposes to you an opportunity to fulfill your goals, a chance to redeem yourself in the eyes of morality and the law. Agreeing to these conditions would mean giving your full devotion to a cause rooted in maintaining peace and justice; it would mean...upholding a promise." He slid a leather-bound folder towards the hedgehog, some sort of understanding lurking behind that cold, knowing gaze. As the hybrid would soon know, there were things behind that gaze best kept silent. And many that would remain so.

"Shadow, will you accept my offer to join the Guardian Unit of Nations?"

The confrontation faded into darkness as he let a silent sigh into the warm, humid air of a summer's night, ripping himself out of the memory. So many decades ago was this proposal first made, and yet he still recalled it as if the event were unfolding right before him. It was strange, really, yet the more curious thing was his recollection of the thoughts that had raced through his mind in that particular moment.

He had been confused more than anything else. Shouldn't G.U.N. have viewed him as a danger, a threat to the peace they worked so hard to preserve? Why did Towers wish for him to become one of the organization's own; his own power would have been enough to constitute his death, and his actions proved to be no better.

He remembered clearly the excruciating silence that had made the air so thick to be almost unbreatheable. The voices of a thousand questions barraging his mind like the torrents of the ocean. The tight grip of fear he felt latching onto his throat. Could they trust him, even with his immense power? Could they forgive him for what he'd done in retaliation?

Could he ever truly forgive them for what they had done so long ago? What they had taken from him?

Shadow did not know.

Even now, the questions still plagued him, hovering over him like the ghosts of his past. He may never truly understand what their intentions were. Maybe he was not supposed to. As much as he thought of these things, they had mattered little in his final decision. Death or redemption. A finality or a new beginning. There was hardly a choice.

Without hesitation, he had taken the offer.

* * *

A.N.: Hey! Thanks for the read! I know this chapter's a bit short, but I plan to have the following uploads to be quite a bit longer, as this was just a prologue. I'll try to get that next chapter out as soon as possible. Feel free to leave any thoughts or suggestions in the comments below, it really means a lot!


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